Laminated coconut palm and products thereof

Abstract

Methods and products are described having improved structural stability and which are particularly suitable for manufacture using coconut palm. Each product includes a core and a veneer laminated to form a product, and includes arrangements of the core pieces to provide improved structural stability. In one embodiment, elongated strips of palm having square cross-sections are laminated with parallel grains to form a core. In another embodiment, elongated strips of palm having rectangular cross-sections are laminated with parallel grains and with the long sides of the rectangles of adjoining strips abutting. A third embodiment of the present invention is a square flooring tile arranged from a plurality of core pieces arranged with the grain generally parallel to the edge of the core. The products can support a veneer or kerf as is suitable to particular uses.

1 . A palm product comprising: 
 a core having a pair of opposing major surfaces including a first surface and a second surface, said core including a plurality of elongate strips of coconut palm each having a cross-section and having grains aligned with the length of said strip; and    a veneer on said first surface.    
   
   
       2 . The palm product of  claim 1 , wherein said veneer has grains and wherein said grains of said veneer are approximately parallel to said grains of said plurality of elongate strips.  
   
   
       3 . The palm product of  claim 1 , wherein said veneer has grains and wherein said grains of said veneer are approximately perpendicular to said grains of said plurality of elongate strips.  
   
   
       4 . The palm product of  claim 1 , wherein said core is a single-ply core, wherein said veneer is a first veneer, and further comprising a second veneer on said second surface.  
   
   
       5 . The palm product of  claim 4 , wherein said second veneer has grains and wherein said grains of said second veneer are approximately parallel to said grains of said plurality of elongate strips.  
   
   
       6 . The palm product of  claim 4 , wherein said second veneer has grains and wherein said grains of said second veneer are approximately perpendicular to said grains of said plurality of elongate strips.  
   
   
       7 . The palm product of  claim 1 , wherein said core is a double-ply core.  
   
   
       8 . The palm product of  claim 1 , wherein said cross section is a rectangular.  
   
   
       9 . The palm product of  claim 8 , wherein said cross section is a square.  
   
   
       10 . The palm product of  claim 8 , wherein said plurality of elongate strips are joined using straight joints.  
   
   
       11 . The palm product of  claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of elongate strips is a single piece of coconut palm.  
   
   
       12 . The palm product of  claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of elongate strips is two or more pieces of joined coconut palm.  
   
   
       13 . The palm product of  claim 1 , wherein said second surface has at least one kerf.  
   
   
       14 . The palm product of  claim 4 , wherein each of said major pair of opposing surfaces is rectangular, wherein said core has two pairs of opposing minor surfaces between said major pair of opposing surfaces including a first minor pair of opposing surfaces and a second minor pair of opposing surfaces, and wherein said first minor pair of opposing surfaces includes a first surface having a tongue of a tongue-and-groove joint and a second surface has a groove matching said tongue of said first surface, such that multiple palm products can be joined using a tongue-and-groove joint.  
   
   
       15 . The palm product of  claim 14 , wherein said second veneer has at least one kerf.  
   
   
       16 . The palm product of  claim 14 , wherein said first veneer and said second veneer is a coconut palm veneer.  
   
   
       17 . The palm product of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of said first veneer and said second veneer is single piece of coconut palm.  
   
   
       18 . The palm product of  claim 14 , and wherein said second minor pair of opposing surfaces includes a third surface having a tongue of a tongue-and-groove joint and a fourth surface has a groove matching said tongue of said first surface, such that multiple palm products can be joined in a two-dimensional array using a tongue-and-groove joint.  
   
   
       19 . A laminated palm product comprising: 
 a core having a pair of opposing major surfaces including a first surface and a second surface, said core including a plurality of elongate strips of coconut palm each having a cross-section and having grains aligned with the length of said strip;    a first veneer of coconut palm on said first surface; and    a second veneer of coconut palm on said second surface.    
   
   
       20 . The palm product of  claim 19 , wherein said first veneer has grains, wherein said second veneer has grains, and wherein said grains of said first veneer and said second veneer are approximately parallel to said grains of said plurality of elongate strips.  
   
   
       21 . The palm product of  claim 19 , wherein said first veneer has grains, wherein said second veneer has grains, and wherein said grains of said first veneer and said second veneer are approximately perpendicular to said grains of said plurality of elongate strips.  
   
   
       22 . The palm product of  claim 19 , wherein said cross section is a rectangular.  
   
   
       23 . The palm product of  claim 22 , wherein said cross section is a square.  
   
   
       24 . The palm product of  claim 19 , wherein said plurality of elongate strips are joined using straight joints.  
   
   
       25 . The palm product of  claim 19 , wherein each of said plurality of elongate strips is a single piece of coconut palm.  
   
   
       26 . The palm product of  claim 19 , wherein each of said plurality of elongate strips is two or more pieces of joined coconut palm.  
   
   
       27 . The palm product of  claim 17 , wherein said second veneer includes at least one kerf.  
   
   
       28 . The palm product of  claim 26 , wherein each of said major pair of opposing surfaces is rectangular, wherein said core has two pairs of opposing minor surfaces between said major pair of opposing surfaces including a first minor pair of opposing surfaces and a second minor pair of opposing surfaces, and wherein said first minor pair of opposing surfaces includes a first surface having a tongue of a tongue-and-groove joint and a second surface has a groove matching said tongue of said first surface, such that multiple palm products can be joined using a tongue-and-groove joint.  
   
   
       29 . The palm product of  claim 28 , wherein said first veneer or said second veneer is single piece of coconut palm.  
   
   
       30 . The palm product of  claim 28 , and wherein said second minor pair of opposing surfaces includes a third surface having a tongue of a tongue-and-groove joint and a fourth surface has a groove matching said tongue of said first surface, such that multiple palm products can be joined in a two-dimensional array using a tongue-and-groove joint.  
   
   
       31 . The palm product of  claim 28 , wherein said first veneer or said second veneer is coconut palm.  
   
   
       32 . A palm product comprising: 
 a core having a pair of opposing major surfaces including a first surface and a second surface and having a substantially square perimeter defining four edges, where said core is a single-ply core including a plurality of elongate strips each having a cross-section and a grain, where said grain is parallel along at least one half of each of said four edges; and    a veneer substantially covering one pair of said opposing surfaces.    
   
   
       33 . The palm product of  claim 32 , wherein said core includes at least one kerf.  
   
   
       34 . The palm product of  claim 32 , wherein said core includes a central square core and four rectangular cores each extending from said central square core to said perimeter.  
   
   
       35 . The palm product of  claim 32 , wherein said core is coconut palm.  
   
   
       36 . The palm product of  claim 32 , wherein said veneer is coconut palm.  
   
   
       37 . The palm product of  claim 36 , wherein said veneer is a parquet veneer.  
   
   
       38 . The palm product of  claim 32 , and wherein said four edges are two pairs of opposing edges, and wherein each of said two pairs of opposing edges includes either a tongue or a groove.